12. The Eldergrove’s Trials

CHAPTER 12

THE ELDERGROVE'S TRIALS

B rynn gasps for breath, her body trembling violently. The Beast claws at the edges of her mind, snarling and thrashing, pushing her to finally cede control—to unleash it and tear through everything and everyone in her path.

No. She squeezes her eyes shut, gritting her teeth as she fights to hold it back.

Not here.

Not now.

The air in the Eldergrove is thick with dark energy, pressing down on her like a living thing. She feels it creeping through her veins, wrapping around her heart like icy tendrils, feeding the Beast's hunger. Her fingers dig into the dirt, sharp claws scraping the earth as she forces herself to focus on something—anything—other than the darkness whispering in her ears.

Control, she thinks desperately. You can't lose control.

But every breath feels like a struggle, her chest tight and burning, her muscles twitching as the Beast roars for release. Each second feels like a battle, a war waged within her own skin.

And she's losing.

"Brynn?" Luca's voice is soft, hesitant.

She flinches at the sound, her gaze snapping to him—only to freeze at the look in his eyes.

Fear. Concern. And something else—something raw and desperate, like a man watching someone drown and knowing he can't reach them.

"Don't—" she chokes out, the word a rasp of breath. "Don't come near me."

Luca doesn't move. He's crouched a few feet away, his gaze locked on her, his body tense. "You're fighting it," he says quietly, his tone even. Calm. "I know you're fighting it. And you're winning, Brynn. You?—"

"I'm not," she snaps, her voice sharp and brittle. Her claws dig deeper into the dirt, her shoulders hunched as she fights the urge to lash out. "I'm—gods, I'm losing, Luca. The Beast is—it's too strong. I?—"

"Look at me," Luca interrupts softly.

Brynn's breath trembles. She squeezes her eyes shut, shaking her head frantically. "No. No, I can't—I can't?—"

"Look at me," he repeats, his voice firmer now. "You can do this. You can beat it, Brynn. You're stronger than this—stronger than him."

His words cut through the haze of panic, piercing through the fog of fear and doubt that clouds her mind. Slowly, reluctantly, Brynn forces herself to lift her gaze.

Luca's blue eyes are locked on hers, fierce and resolute. There's no fear in them now—no hesitation.

Just a steady, unwavering belief that burns through the darkness.

For a moment, everything else fades. The Beast's snarl wanes to a distant murmur, the shadows recede, and it's just him and her, standing on the precipice of something terrible.

"You're not alone," Luca says quietly, his gaze never wavering. "I'm right here. You don't have to fight it alone."

Her breath catches, something sharp twisting in her chest. Gods, why? Why does he have to stay? Why does he have to keep believing in her, when she can't even believe in herself?

"Why?" she whispers, tears spilling over as she looks back at him, her heart breaking. "Why won't you just—go? Why won't you let me?—"

"Because I care, damn it," he snaps, his voice rough and sharp. Brynn's breath catches, her eyes widening as he takes a step closer, his gaze blazing. "I'm not going to let some twisted curse take you from me."

The words steal the breath from her lungs. She stares at him, shock and pain and something else—something powerful and beautiful—swelling in her chest. "Luca, I?—"

Before she can finish, a cold, mocking laugh fills the clearing.

"Poor, broken Brynn," a voice murmurs, soft and poisonous. "Did you really think you could escape me?"

Brynn stiffens, her blood turning to ice. Luca's face drains of color, his eyes widening with shock and horror as a figure steps between them, his eyes gleaming with dark, malevolent light.

Maelor.

The Beast inside Brynn roars, surging to the surface, and she staggers back, her heart thundering wildly in her chest as the curse tightens its hold, black tendrils of shadow wrapping around her limbs, pulling her down.

"Maelor," she gasps, her voice a broken whisper. "No—no, please?—"

But he just smiles, his gaze shifting to Luca, his lips twisting into something cold and malicious.

"Tell me, boy," he drawls softly. "Did she tell you the truth about your father?"

Brynn's heart stutters painfully, her breath catching in her throat.

No.

"Did she tell you how she lied—how she never had him at all?"

Luca's face drains of color. He stares at Brynn, his eyes wide and hurting, and Brynn's very soul shudders.

She can't do this without Luca.

"Brynn," he whispers, his voice raw and broken. "What is he talking about?"

"No," she chokes out, shaking her head frantically. "No, Luca, I?—"

But the words won't come. Every breath is a struggle, the curse tearing through her, dark tendrils wrapping tighter around her body, her throat, her heart. And Maelor just smiles—a cold, twisted smile that makes her blood run cold.

"You can't trust her, boy," he croons softly. "She's a Beast. A liar. A monster. She'll destroy you—just like she destroys everything she touches."

"Shut up," Luca growls, his voice tight with fury. "You don't know her?—"

"Oh, but I do." Maelor's smile widens, his gaze fixed on Brynn like a predator eyeing its prey. "She's mine, you see. My creation. My weapon. And you…" He tilts his head, his eyes narrowing. "You're just a distraction."

The words are a blade to the gut. Luca flinches, his expression crumpling, and Brynn feels something inside her crack, something fragile and vital, splintering under the weight of Maelor's words.

"Luca, please," she whispers, her voice trembling. "I never wanted to?—"

"Liar," Maelor murmurs, his voice soft and poisonous. "You've always been a liar, Brynn. Haven't you?"

The darkness surges, and Brynn gasps as the shadows tighten around her throat, cutting off her breath. The curse roars in her veins, the Beast snarling and thrashing beneath her skin, and she can feel herself slipping—can feel the curse tearing through her, ripping her apart.

"Stop it!" Luca shouts, his voice raw with fury. He lunges forward, grabbing her shoulders, his hands warm and solid and real against her trembling body. "Don't listen to him, Brynn. You're stronger than this—stronger than him?—"

Maelor's laughter drowns him out, low and dark and cruel. "Oh, she's strong, all right," he murmurs, his gaze flicking to Luca, his smile widening. "But not in the way you think. She's strong enough to lie to you. Strong enough to betray you. Tell me—did she ever mention she never even met your father?—"

"Shut up!" Brynn screams, the words tearing from her throat in a guttural snarl.

The shadows flare, twisting around her body, and the Beast surges forward, its rage flooding her veins. Her vision blurs, and she falls to her knees, clutching her head as the curse writhes and twists inside her, black tendrils of shadow seeping through her skin.

"No, no, no," she gasps, her voice a broken whisper. "Stop, please, stop?—"

But Maelor just smiles, his eyes gleaming with dark delight. "It's time to stop pretending, Brynn," he hisses. "Time to show him what you really are."

"Don't listen to him," Luca whispers, his hands tightening on her shoulders. His gaze is burning with pain and desperation, but Brynn can see the cracks in his resolve—can see the doubt and confusion in his eyes. "Please, Brynn. I know you. I know you wouldn't?—"

"Don't you?" Maelor purrs, his smile widening. "Then ask her." He gestures to Brynn, his eyes glittering with malice. "Ask her if she ever had your father. Ask her what she's been hiding from you. Go on."

Luca's gaze flicks to her, desperate and beseeching. "Brynn," he whispers, his voice a broken rasp. "Is it true?"

"Yes," she gasps, tears spilling down her cheeks. "Your father never came to my castle."

"Never?" he demands, his voice rising. "You lied to me? Were you ever going to tell me the truth?"

She opens her mouth, but no words come. The darkness tightens around her, squeezing the breath from her lungs, and the curse roars, tearing at her mind, at her soul. Her body convulses, a sob ripping free, and she shakes her head frantically, her vision blurring with pain and despair.

"Luca, I—I didn't—I was trying to?—"

"Trying to what?" he shouts, his face contorted with pain. "To use?"

"I was—" Her voice breaks, a sob tearing through her chest. "I just wanted to keep you safe."

"But you lied," he whispers, his voice shaking. "You lied to me."

Brynn stares at him, her chest tight, her body trembling violently as the curse tightens, the Beast snarling and snapping beneath her skin.

"I—" Her voice breaks, her vision blurring. "I'm sorry, Luca. I'm so—so sorry?—"

The darkness surges, and Maelor's smile widens.

"See how she breaks," he murmurs, his voice soft and deadly. "See how she lies. She'll destroy you, boy. Just like she destroys everything."

"No," she gasps, clutching her head as the shadows tighten, as the curse tears through her like a living thing. "No, please, just—just stop?—"

But the darkness only presses closer, squeezing tighter, and Brynn feels herself slipping, feels the Beast roaring to the surface, its claws tearing through her mind.

"Luca," she sobs, her voice breaking. "Luca, please?—"

But before she can say any more, the curse explodes.

A scream tears from her throat, and her body convulses violently, the shadows flaring around her like a living storm. She falls to the ground, gasping for breath, her form warping and twisting, the Beast's rage flooding her veins.

"Run," she gasps, her voice breaking. "Luca, run. I—can't—hold it?—"

"Brynn," he breathes, his voice tight with pain. "You?—"

"Run!" she screams, her body contorting violently. Her claws burst out, dark fur rippling across her skin, and her vision blurs, pain tearing through her chest. "Just— go !"

Luca's expression shatters, his eyes wide and broken. Then he finally does as she asks. As she's always asked.

He runs.

As Brynn's body twists and shifts, as the Beast breaks free, Maelor's laughter echoes through the clearing, low and triumphant.

"Now," he whispers softly. "Let's finish what we began."